Cooperative agreements, not grants.

Each MDCP partner works with a team of ITA professionals that helps achieve project goals. By working as a team, ITA can help U.S. industry organizations:

- Leverage ITA’s foreign posts, 107 domestic offices, and relevant Washington, D.C.-based resources,

- Coordinate in advance for more effective activities, and

- Ensure that activities result in quantifiable success.

 

MDCP multiplies ITA’s effectiveness.

By inviting new MDCP partnerships, ITA:

- Acknowledges that it does not have all the answers on how to help U.S. industry to be more competitive,

- Engages its staff directly where it can be most effective, working alongside industry organizations, and

- Reaches member companies of its MDCP partners that it would not reach if ITA were working alone.

 

3

High return.

Exports generated for every federal dollar invested : $104.

 

4

Limited award never exceeds 1/3 of project cost.

MDCP awards have traditionally been limited to $400,000 each. The 2-to-1 match requirement ensures that MDCP awards attract organizations willing to invest their own resources.

 

5

U.S. industry organizations commit a substantial amount of their own resources.

Value of awards made since 1993: $27.3 million Match pledged by partners: $75.5 million ratio of partner contribution to federal award: $2.77 to $1.

 

6

A very competitive program.

In an average year, 50 organizations compete for awards. Odds of being selected for an MDCP award: 1 in 7.

 

7

Projects are underwritten by non-profits to strengthen the global competitiveness of U.S. industry, and not to benefit any particular company.

MDCP partners by type of organization:

- Trade associations,

- Standards developing organizations,

- State departments of international trade and/or economic development,

- Chambers of commerce,

- World Trade Centers,

- Small business development centers,

- Other non-profit industry organizations.

 

8

Target markets.

Fifty-two (52) foreign markets targeted, including the following listed in order of popularity: China, Mexico, Japan, Brazil, Korea, Argentina, UK, Germany, Chile, Taiwan, France, and India.

 

9

Partners from every region in the United States.

Organizations in 27 states plus D.C. have received MDCP awards. Here they are in descending order of number of MDCP awards:

Virginia, D.C., California, New York, Massachusetts, Illinois, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Washington, South Dakota, Ohio, New Jersey, Missouri, Maryland, Hawaii, Georgia, Florida, Arizona, Colorado, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, North Dakota, New Mexico, Vermont, West Virginia.

 

10

MDCP-inspired innovation entails risk, but usually results in success.

Total projects undertaken: 93 (includes 15 still receiving MDCP funds) Projects completed or in process: 85 (91.4%):

 

11

Self-sustaining activity usually continues after the award funds are spent.

Projects that continued for a year or more after the MDCP award period: 49 Of these, the number still operating today: 42 Of the 49 projects that operated for one year or more, 18 are foreign bases. Since 1993, our partners have leveraged MDCP awards to open 18 bases of operations in foreign markets. These include offices, product demonstration/servicing centers, and training facilities. All 18 continued in operation for at least a year after the MDCP award period ended, and 17 continue in operation today.

 

12

MDCP project experience often encourages alumni to initiate their own competitiveness enhancement projects.

AMT opened its first product demonstration and service center in Shanghai as part of an MDCP project. It has since opened a demonstration/service center in Monterrey, Mexico and will soon open another in Chennai, India. Both of these new projects are inspired by the MDCP project; however, both of them are being undertaken without MDCP assistance. The Consortium for Standards and Conformity Assessment opened an office in Beijing as part of its MDCP project. Now, consortium members ASTM, ASME International, and the American Petroleum Institute have set up their own offices in China without MDCP assistance.

 

13

Cross pollination.

Before launching new projects, either with or without MDCP assistance, industry organizations are more likely to exchange ideas and best practices with their peers thanks to MDCP. ITA leverages the experience gained through MDCP projects by encouraging MDCP alumni to share their experience and best practices with trade association executives through regular meetings of the National Association of Manufacturers’ Council of Manufacturing Associations and other relevant forums.

 

14

History of limits to size of MDCP award.

Limit to amount of each award:

- 1993:$450,000

- 1994-2005: $400,000

- 2007: $175,000

- 2008: $250,000

 

15

Traditional average annual total for MDCP awards.

While the program was funded without interruption between 1993 and 2005, the total amount for MDCP awards each year was $2.3 million on average.